The Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum’s annual antiques and collectibles show is returning to the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds this March.
The show will take place on Friday, March 22 from noon until 8 p.m., and again on Saturday, March 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It’s mostly (going to be) people selling whatever they have, everything from car parts to… die cast toys, stamps, coins, dishes, Western-themed stuff, licence plates, you name it,” said Gary Davis, a member of the museum’s board of directors.
Hosting the antiques show is part of an annual tradition that’s been running for over 40 years. Each year, antique and vintage car collectors display their vast collections and are given the opportunity to buy, sell, or trade any rare, vintage, or otherwise hard to find items they may be seeking.
The show began as a simple idea to raise funds for the museum.
“It started out as a car parts swap meet, and sort of morphed into more antiques and collectibles,” Davis recalled.
The Sukanen Ship Museum was founded in 1969 after the Moose Jaw-based Antique Automobile Club of Saskatchewan raised enough funds to purchase 10 acres of land south of town.
Originally, the purpose of the museum was to house and display antique cars and to host car rallies, but soon the addition of antique tractors, a binder, and a threshing machine led to the first threshing bee in the fall of 1969.
Not long after this, communities from the area reached out with buildings they wanted to have preserved, including the Spicer School, Tilney Church, and the Baildon Railway Station. This led to the creation of the Prairie Pioneer Village and Museum.
The signature Sukanen Ship was added in 1977 and has since become the museum’s focal point.
Today, the museum grounds feature more than 50 historical buildings and is situated as a small rural town would have been during Saskatchewan’s early pioneering days.
All proceeds from the show will help support the museum’s ongoing operation. As well, Davis said the museum has plans to construct a 50 by 120 foot (15 by 36.5 metre) building this summer to house its antique vehicles.
“We have a number of cars, and our current car building has been overfull for years – they’re kind of stashed here, there, and everywhere. We’re finally going to have one brand new building because of a generous donor who wants to see cars in only one building.”
He said all the necessary materials have been purchased and a contractor is lined up with construction to kick off this spring.
“There’s always a need to improve on what we have, and to maintain a village full of 50 old buildings, and then to erect new ones for our displays. It’s been growing constantly,” he said.
“It’s one of our major fundraising events (for the museum). It has been very successful, and we hope this year it will be the same.”
The cost of admission is $6 at the door, and children aged 15 and under can enter free of charge when accompanied by an adult. There will also be a concession booth available to provide food and beverages to guests.
To apply as a vendor or to address any questions, Garry Davis can be reached at 306-692-4755.
The Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds are located at 250 Thatcher Drive East and ample free parking is available on site.
For more information about the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum and upcoming summer programming, visit SukanenShipMuseum.ca.
The Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum is currently closed for the season, but will open once again on Wednesday, May 15.
